Fish and Seafood

Sunday, 17 December 2023 17:55
Written by Madelaine Bullwinkel

Ingredients for 8 - 10 servings:

Brioche:

1 cup milk

1/4 cup water

3 eggs (plus 1 yolk for egg wash), at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 1/2 cups unbleached flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 package Rapid Rise or 2 1/2 tablespoons SAF yeast

Filling:

2 pounds salmon, skinned and bones removed

1 cup Texmati rice or long grain white rice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 large onion, diced

1/3 cup fresh dill, finely chopped

1 pound baby spinach

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Garnish: 1 cup sour cream thickened with Dijon mustard, to taste

Brioche: Combine and heat the milk and water to 110 degrees. Beat in the 3 eggs and melted butter.

Combine and mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the work bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment or in a bowl by hand.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry with the machine running until a dough forms or make a well in dry ingredients, pour in the wet and gradually stir the wet into the dry. Add flour, by the tablespoon, if needed to make the dough firm enough to handle.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and fold it over on itself a few times to form a ball.

Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a protected place for 1 1/2 hours.

Salmon: Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before assembling. Dust lightly with salt and pepper on both sides.

Rice: Cook rice according to package directions. Reserve.

Onions: Slowly cooked the diced onions in 2 tablespoons butter until they become transparent about 5 minutes.

Fold the cooked rice into the onions followed by the dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Spinach: Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet and wilt the spinach over low heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Assembly and Baking: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a bake sheet with parchment.

Deflate the risen dough and remove to a floured work surface. Knead for 15 seconds, then divide it into 2 equal pieces.

Roll one piece of dough on the parchment sheet into a rectangle larger than the surface of the salmon by 1".

Spoon the rice and onion mixture onto the dough in the shape of the salmon fillet. Pat the salmon dry and place it on the rice.

Cover the salmon with a layer of spinach.

Roll out the remaining piece of dough into a rectangle large enough to cover the salmon. Cover the salmon and press closed.

No-Lattice Finish: Cut 2 -3 decorative slits in the crust to allow air to escape. Seal the bottom edges of the dough with a fork.

Glaze: Beat the extra egg yolk with 1 tablespoon whipping cream or milk and brush the crust surface.

Optional lattice: Cut off the excess dough around the bottom edge of the seal. Roll it out into a rectangle and make vertical cuts in it as shown in the blog photo. Drape it over the crust.

Seal the edge of the wrap with a fork. Proceed to glaze the surface with the egg yolk wash.

Baking: The Wrap will bake in 35 - 40 minutes. Cover the top with aluminum foil after the first 15 minutes to prevent over-browning.

Cool for 10 minutes on a rack before serving. Spoon some flavored sour cream at the base of each slice and pass remaining sauce at the table.

Reheating: Inch thick slices can be reheated in a microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Thursday, 04 May 2023 14:38
Written by Madelaine Bullwinkel

Fish:

2 pounds fresh and smoked seafood: salmon, cod, mussels, monkfish, scallops

5 spring onions, thinly sliced

¼ cup chives, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

White sauce:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3 tablespoons unbleached flour

3 cups milk

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 yellow onion, diced

3/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup heavy cream

½ cup grated Parmesan

½ cup grated Gruyère

Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Mashed Potatoes:

1 pound baking potatoes

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces

1 cup milk, warmed

2 egg yolks

Dusting of ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Parsley Crumb Topping:

2/3 cup Panko crumbs

Zest of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

2/3 cup parsley leaves, chopped

½ cup Parmesan, grated

½ cup Gruyere

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 4 quart casserole.

Fish: Remove skin and any bones. Cut the fish into bite size pieces. Lightly salt and pepper. Reserve at room temperature.

Potatoes: Peel and dice the potatoes. Cover by 1” in cool water, bring to a simmer and cook until easily pierced. Drain and mash the potatoes with the butter. Slowly work in the warm milk and salt. Off the heat, stir in the egg yolks and nutmeg. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Reserve.

Parsley Crumb Topping: Combine the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, minced garlic, chopped parsley leaves and olive oil in the work bowl of a processor or blender. Process until well mixed, 20 seconds or so. Turn crumble out into a bowl and combine with grated Parmesan and Gruyère cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

White Sauce: Place the bay leaf in the milk and bring just to the boil in a saucepan. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in another saucepan, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk and return to the heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer, add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Reserve. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in another saucepan and sweat the diced onion for 5 minutes softening them but not allowing them to brown. Add the white wine and simmer until reduced by 2/3’s. Add the Parmesan, Gruyère and cream to the onions, and cook another 2 minutes stirring constantly. Pour the onion mixture into the white sauce and bring to a simmer. Begin adding the fish, one variety at a time, in 1-minute intervals beginning with the densest fish. Allow the fish to just cook through, another minute or two. Add the mussels (see Note #2) if included in the seafood mix and drained smoked fish (see Note #3), chopped chives, sliced spring onions to warm briefly.

Assembly and baking: Fill the prepared baking dish with the fish in the white sauce. Smooth on a layer of the potato puree and scatter on the parsley crust. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the top is lightly browned.

Notes:

1. This dish may be prepared in advance and refrigerated for several hours. Double the baking time and allow the crust to brown before serving.

2. If including fresh mussels, steam them open separately. Reserve the meat and strained cooking juices. Add meat and juices after adding the other fish.

3. Replace some of the fresh fish with a drained 4 ounce container of smoked fish: mussels, haddock, salmon. Add them after the fresh fish has been added.

Recipe adapted from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Monday, 20 February 2023 19:34
Written by Madelaine Bullwinkel

Ingredients for 1 sandwich

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

2 slices dark rye or pumpernickel bread, toasted

2 leaves red lettuce

1/2 can French or Spanish sardines, drained + 2 tablespoons oil

1/2 roasted red pepper, cut in thin strips

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine the vinegar, sugar and black peppercorns in a pan and heat to a boil.

Immediately pour the hot mixture over the sliced onions in a shallow dish and allow them to cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until needed.

Stir together the mayonnaise, horseradish and lemon juice. Spread this mixture over both slices of toasted bread.

Place a leaf of lettuce over this and lay on the sardine fillets.

Top with the pepper slices and pickled onion. Drizzle on a tablespoon of oil from the can.

Season with salt and pepper.

(This recipe from chef Mike Colamenco was adapted from a sandwich issue of Saveur in 2011.)

Monday, 20 February 2023 19:51
Written by Madelaine Bullwinkel

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1/2 pound elbow pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1 cup onion, diced

1 8 ounce tin of Spanish or Portuguese sardines, drained and chopped

Zest of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1/4 cup Italian parsley, minced + more for garnish

Boil the pasta according to package directions, drain and reserve both the pasta and 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan, add the breadcrumbs and stir for a minute or two, until they turn toasty brown. Remove and reserve.

Heat remaining oil in the pan and cook the onion pieces until they wilt, about 2 minutes.

Stir the sardines, capers and lemon zest into the onions and continue cooking another 2 to 3 minutes to heat them.

Add the pasta to the pan with 2 tablespoons of the pasta water. Stir the mixture while heating the pasta and add more water as needed to keep the mixture moist.

Finally, fold in the minced parsley, serve and add additional parsley as garnish.

(Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman that appeared in The New York Times on March 31, 2010.)

Friday, 05 February 2016 03:45
Written by Madelaine Bullwinkel

CRABCAKES RÉMOULADE

Ingredients:

Crabcakes:

1 pound crabmeat

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Creole Spice seasoning

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, minced

2 large eggs

1/3 cup Panko crumbs

1/2 cup unbleached flour blended with 1/2 tablespoon Creole seasoning

N'Awlins Remoulade:*

1/4 cup finely chopped scallions or shallots

1 clove minced garlic

2 tablespoon Creole mustard (whole grain)

1 tablespoon teaspoons Creole spice mix

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon

1 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Crabcakes:

Unmold the crabmeat and pick through it carefully to check for small bits of shell. Transfer to a mixing bowl. In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Creole spice mix, mustard, parsley, eggs and breadcrumbs. Fold the seasonings into the crabmeat. Chill until ready to cook (overnight if desired).

Combine the flour and seasoning in a Pyrex pie plate. Heat a thin layer of Canola oil in a large skillet. Use an ice cream scoop or biscuit mold to form the cakes. Coat lightly in the flavored flour and brown on both sides in the hot oil. Cover, turn the heat down to low and cook another 5 - 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the cakes. Reserve in a 250 degree oven.

Rémoulade:

Whisk together the onions, garlic, mustard, spice mix, vinegar and lemon juice.

Whisk in the oil and fold in the parsley and celery pieces. Season to taste.

Serving:

Spoon a generous tablespoon of rémoulade sauce on each serving plate. Center a warm crab cake on the place and serve.

* Recipe adapted from Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer

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